Rep. Ilhan Omar Says It Is Congress’s Job To Watch Over Palestinians

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar just made the ludicrous claim that the Israeli government prevented her and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib from doing their “job” last week by refusing them entry to the Jewish state.

I thought that the job of a member of Congress was to represent the members of his or her district in Washington D.C. not the interests of the Palestinians.

But it appears that neither Rep. Omar or Rep Tlaib sees their job that way.

“Let’s be clear: the goal of our trip was to witness firsthand what is happening on the ground in Palestine and hear from stakeholders —our job as Members of Congress,” Omar wrote in a tweet.

Let’s be clear: the goal of our trip was to witness firsthand what is happening on the ground in Palestine and hear from stakeholders —our job as Members of Congress.

But since we were unable to fulfill our role as legislators, I am sharing what we would have seen. (THREAD)

In her twitter rant Rep Omar also argued that since Israel gets a massive amount of aid each year from the U.S., more than more than $3 billion in military and other aid each year, we “should be leveraging that aid to stop the settlements and ensure full rights for Palestinians.”

Omar doubled down on her claim at a new conference Monday, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suppressed “our ability to do our jobs as elected officials.”

“This is the policy of his government when it comes to anyone who holds views that threaten the occupation,” Omar said.

It appears Rep. Tlaib agrees with Rep. Omar when it comes to whom she actually represents in Congress:

Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she wants for me. It would kill a piece of me. I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in--fighting against racism, oppression & injustice. https://t.co/z5t5j3qk4H

“When I won, it gave the Palestinian people hope that someone will finally speak the truth about the inhumane conditions,” she tweeted in explaining her decision not to travel to Israel. “I can’t allow the State of Israel to take away that light by humiliating me & use my love for my sity (grandmother) to bow down to their oppressive & racist policies.”

In a subsequent tweet Rep. Tlaib added, “Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she wants for me. It would kill a piece of me.”

What do you think?

Is it the job of a member of Congress to represent the Palestinian people, as Reps Omar and Tlaib suggest, or should they be representing the interests of their constituents?